72 comments:

Hi Katie, I´m a religion teacher in Luxembourg (Europe) and by chance (or maybe God´s will) I got to your blog. I just want you to know that I think your blog is awesome and very inspiring !! Our elementary school is in a very difficult area of Luxembourg city and I´m teaching 11 classes in religion. Unfortunately the children live in a parish hated by their priest and left alone by our archbishop. Please pray for us, for me. Sometimes I´m getting so desperate and angry with that situation that I want to go away. But then "my" children come to me and ask me to tell them about Jesus and I just can´t go. Your blog and your wonderful ideas inspire me to go on teaching. Thank you ! Hugs and prayers from Luxembourg.

Keep doing Christ missionary work on earth! The children need you more now than ever! I too feel your concern as some of my students do not attend msss regularly if at all. It is frustrating to teach 4th graders who do nit know about the sacraments much less the madd😞. I keep trying so if I teach 1:2?each year that’s better than NONE! I just prayed for you for strength and endurance to continue the Lords work through your students!

Hi,I was wondering if you have ever put anything together to explain each part of the Mass. I found many great things here I would like to use. I would love to know if you have anything to help me on this!Thanks,Ruth

Hi Ruth! I am glad that you are finding good things that you can use! I have a booklet explaining the parts of the Mass that I used with Middle and High schoolers. Depending on the age of the kids it might be too much, but it does explain all the parts of the Mass, connect them to Scripture, etc. Take a look and see if it would help:https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5ETRkL51fhMNGIzZWEwYjEtMmIwZS00NzlkLWE2NmEtMWIxNDUyMjk0N2Qz/edit

HI Katie!I love your ideas and look forward to going over your blog with a fine tooth comb looking for what I can use in my class! :-D Would you happen to have an easy way to teach the Nicene Creed. Maybe diagrams or pictures? I would love to see what you've got!Ana

Hi Ana! I am so glad that you are here looking for some ideas for your kiddos! I do have some ideas for the Nicene Creed- they are posted in the Sharing Our Faith tab under the heading "I Believe." A couple of posts that I think you might like:The Creed and Notebooking:http://www.looktohimandberadiant.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-creed-notebooking.htmlWord Strategies for the Creed:http://looktohimandberadiant.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-creed-words-to-know.html

Depending on the age of your class, you might like some of the crafts that are posted in that section like this one connecting the Creed to the Trinity:http://looktohimandberadiant.blogspot.com/2012/07/i-believe-mobile.html

Katie Anne, I am so familiar with the Bogner's of Henry. Classmate was Dean, and spent time yesterday afternoon with Tom at the Old Catholic Cemetery re-righting some old stones. Drove past where the old grade school was - so many memories...Anyway, the photo of your great-greats memorialized on the church window intrigues me. My great-great have one to. Any idea what our great-great did to deserve this honor?

Hi Katie,I found your blog today and I am in LOVE with all that you do!!!! Thank you for sharing all your creativity and faith!!! I am a convert in search of things to be able to better teach my children and all I can say is WOW!!! I think I will pass along your link to the DRE at my parish and to some of the catechists. Thank you!!! Thank you!!! You made my day!!!Gabriela

Katie Anne,I used your Lent Word Cloud to start and end a set of prayer stations I created for a class I'm taking at LMU in CA. My professor wants me to write up the centers for publication an LMU journal. I would like your permission to use the word cloud. I would give you full credit for it. If yes let me know how you would like it referenced. Thank you Paul you can email me at pjs6684@verizon.net

Hi, Katie! I stumbled across your blog from something pinned on Pinterest. Do you have any resources for parental feedback/evaluation forms to use at the end of a faith formation year? I coordinate Confirmation at our parish, a two-year program in 7th and 8th grade, and while I have questionnaires for the sponsors, I'm not quite sure how to put one together for the parents. Any experience with that, or helpful tips? You can reach me at bdmartinek at gmail dot comThanks, Katie!P.S. I'm a Creighton instructor on the side (prayers for your sister!), and I notice we follow many of the same blogs! Small world :)

Hi Deb! I am so glad that you found me. I would love to be able to help, but I have never used that type of a survey at the end of the CCD year. I have done it with adults for Bible Studies, but that wouldn't quite meet the same need. A few things that come to mind:-I would make it anonymous, so hopefully you get more honest answers. -Consider using a Google Form. The parents might be more likely to fill it out if they can do it at the computer or on their phone. It also will help you collect and compile the results.-Leave room for open ended suggestions- they might have something on their mind that you didn't even think of.-Take the results and consider them, pray about them, and act on them with necessary. However, one loud (negative) voice doesn't necessarily mean that you have to change things. My experience with surveys from schools and other programs for kids is that people who are content tend to not speak up. Unfortunately, people who want to complain are going to.Best of luck with that project! I'd love to hear about what you decide to do!And, p.s., yay for Creighton and yay for a small (blogging) world! :)

Hi Katie! I'm writing from Georgia in hopes you can help me. I was trying to determine the authenticity of a story I had read once about Fulton Sheen and was discussing my dilemma with the DRE at my parish, who then referred me to your blog. I'm a catechist and it's a story I started to share with my 3rd grade RE class and realized I had never found out if it was a true story and told them I would find more information before I continued the story. Anyway, it's a story that tells what inspired Fulton Sheen to make a vow to pray a holy hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament for the rest of his life. The story is about a little Chinese girl, in some accounts her name is Li and others her name isn't mentioned, who witnesses Communist soldiers destroying a tabernacle and spilling out 32 consecrated hosts onto the floor. She comes back for 32 days and prays a holy hour before the Precious Body and consumes one host each day. On the last day a soldier sees her and kills her. I've left out a lot of details. It's a beautiful story, but because I believe in finding authentic information to share with my students and because there are so many versions to the story I am confused as to whether the story is true or not. I was hoping you may have heard of this story and can tell me if it is authentic. I look forward to hearing back from you. Have a blessed day. Your sister in Christ, Kathy

Hi Kathy! I am very familiar with the story, and too understand your dilemma about sharing accurate info. One thing that is not true about the way that some tell that story is that hearing of the martyrdom of the Chinese caused Sheen to start to make a Holy Hour daily. Sheen was ordained in 1919 and the Communists took over China during the late 1940s and 50s. We know that he promised to spend an hour in prayer before the Eucharist every day when he was ordained. He also does not mention this story in the chapter on why he makes a Holy Hour in his autobiography Treasure in Clay. (you can read that chapter in the link below). However, apparently hearing this story inspired Sheen to continue his Holy Hour and to encourage others to do the same. I think he spoke about it on television, and I am checking into finding our when that was, as well as if he wrote about it in any books or articles. If you want to reply back to this comment, with an email, we can continue the conversation there. You also can email me: katherine (dot) bogner (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks for the good work you do with your students down there in Georgia, and for sharing the life of Fulton Sheen with them!

I found some more information for you! Apparently Sheen HAD heard of the story of the Chinese martyr while he was in Seminary, so she did influence his decision to commit to a daily Holy Hour. Fr. Andrew Apostoli heard the story from a Seminary classmate of Sheen's. They presume that the story actually occurred during the 1911 Republican Revolution or the Boxer Rebellion (1899-1901).

A summary of Sheen's connection with this story can be found on p.30-36 in the book St. Therese, A Treasured Love Story by Fulton Sheen.

The Cardinal Kung Foundation website (Underground Catholic Church in China) relates the story here:http://www.cardinalkungfoundation.org/ar/LetTheSonShineOut.php

Hi Katie! Love your ideas and the ways you share the Catholic Faith. I am helping the DRE in my parish and we are starting to think about next year and our "theme" for the year. And then Pope Francis announced the Holy Year of Mercy. So we are going to really focus on Divine Mercy this coming year with the kids. Wondered if you had any ideas (or where to find) on ways to bring this to the kids. I am going to search your ideas for Divine Mercy too :) Keep up the good work and thank you for sharing all of your ideas!

We are totally on the same page! "Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly" is going to be our CCD theme next year and I am prepping for a talk in the fall about teaching kids about mercy! Great minds :) Keep coming back, because I will be posting more over the summer and leading up to the Year of Mercy which starts on Dec. 8th.

In the mean time, I have started a Pinterest Board that you might want to follow https://www.pinterest.com/ktanne85/year-of-mercy/.

I also have a few activities about Divine Mercy that you can see here:Pop Out Divine Mercy Chaplet: http://looktohimandberadiant.blogspot.com/2013/04/pop-out-ivine-mercy-chaplet.htmlConnecting Divine Mercy and Reconciliation: http://looktohimandberadiant.blogspot.com/2013/05/reviewing-sacraments-confession.htmlWatercolor Divine Mercy Activity: http://looktohimandberadiant.blogspot.com/2014/04/divine-mercy-watercolor-art-page.html

I will definitely check out that pinterest page! We are thinking of decorating our class hall with a lifesize Divine Mercy Chaplet. Sort of a cross between your life size rosary and the pop out Divine Mercy Chaplet. Each bead would be cut out of cardboard with the Chaplet on it. So big enough to read while walking by. Also going to use our before class sanctuary time to tell story of St. Faustina and the story of Divine Mercy. One of the websites that you have referenced before had some great info on an elementary level - http://thedivinemercy.org/momm/worksheets.php OH - my name is Emily. I guess I didn't sign my last comment :) I will send you my contact info. Thanks again and look forward to more blog posts!

Great, thanks, Emily! I have seen that website, but hadn't visited it recently. I will make sure to check it with fresh eyes! Love the idea to make the giant chaplet to hang on the wall. I am planning on repeating some decorations from another event by using red and blue plastic table cloths hung from the ceiling and stretched out over the wall like the rays of light coming from Jesus' heart. Super cheap and looks very cool! I look forward to continuing to exchange ideas :)

I just want to thank you for your wonderful narrative unit, Write Your Story on My Heart. I read about it on your blog and decided that it would be a perfect culminating unit for my 7th grade ELA classes. Their narratives just blew me away! We had time to complete 4 of the 5 narratives/art projects. I love that they have a writing keepsake, and I included a parent reflection form in each of their books. Some of the narratives brought the parents to tears as well! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and lesson plans about our Catholic faith with the rest of us. Teaching this unit was one of the most fulfilling and faith-filled experiences I have ever had! Blessings, Lacey

Wow, Lacey! I am so glad that it was a good resource for your classroom and a meaningful experience for you students and parents. I appreciate so much your encouragement! I wonder if you have any feedback, tips, or info about how you used the unit with your kids that you would be willing to share? Seeing how something is used in another classroom is always fruitful! You can comment here or send me an email at katherine (dot) bogner (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks so much!

Hi Katie, I feel that your blog is an answer to my prayers. Like you, I am a teacher, and DRE, as well as in charge of our youth group that I started up 5 years ago when taking over as DRE at my local parish. Just last week at our youth group meeting, I was teaching a lesson on Pope Francis and we were discussing his soon trip to the US and my students (Middle and High School age) started asking so many questions about our faith and our church. I was shocked on their lack of knowledge on some of the topics and the more we discussed the more I realized how much I need to do to help them in their spiritual lives. I came home upset and prayed for God to open a door and give me some much need resources and then I stumbled onto your blog! Some of the questions they were asking you have activities and videos on. I really like your Cafeteria is Closed ideas, as well as many many more. I just wanted to take a moment and say thank you for all the hard work you have put into this blog and all the resources. You are a true angel for sharing! May God bless you!

Wow, Hannah! It sounds like we have a lot in common- teacher, DRE, Youth Minister... :) I am glad that you have been finding some resources here to use! You have reminded me that I never finished posting about all of our Cafeteria is Closed lessons...whoops. I will have to do that! If you send me an email, I can email you all of the files so you don't have to wait on me getting posts done. Mine is katherine (dot) bogner (at) gmail (dot) com. Also, my Youth Group kids have picked their topic for the year, and they want to talk about all of the "hot button" issues going on right now- Planned Parenthood, the Supreme Court decision on marriage, etc. so I think I will be revisiting those Cafeteria lessons and beefing them up. I am glad to be in the same boat with you! Blessings on you and all of those kids that you work with!

I love Washington! I have lots of friends that live there- it is a lovely small town. :) Thanks so much for your feedback! I am glad that you are finding things that are useful to you! Thanks for stopping by!

Katie, you may be a life saver! I really want to do a Year of Mercy VBS this summer (DUH!) but none of the Catholic VBS publishers had the foresight to create one! :( So, I'm back to writing my own, and your craft ideas and resources are going to be SO VERY USEFUL!!! I can give this to my Craft people and they will totally run with it. Once I put it all together I'd like to offer it for anyone else out there that may want to do something similar. Would you be willing to (after reading it of course) put it up on your blog? I won't be selling it or anything, just offering it as another resource. Thanks again for doing so much leg-work on the Year of Mercy for kiddos!

Hey Katie! I just stumbled upon your blog because a friend sent me a link to one of your blog posts (being semi-retired, she frequently searches the web for various things that we are working on for our parish ministries). I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog! I, too, am a young adult who is a DRE and crafter! I love your designs...and will certainly use some of them for my program and for personal use as well. I have one question...where do you find the time (being a DRE AND a teacher) to come up with such creative and faith-filled material?? It is very inspiring. Please know that I will be following the blog! Many Blessings for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Michelle

Hi Michelle! I'm so glad you (and your friend) found me! Please use all the materials you want in your programs! Where do I find the time...well... it's one part making time for things you live and one part the necessity of making what I need to make my classroom a better learning environment. And I guess if I making stuff, I want to share it so others can benefit as well. So, so, so glad you will be following along. Blessings on your ministry!

Greetings from Mary to Katie!I praise God this lovely morning for the gifts and talents that He has given so graciously to you and for your generosity to share with us. I am so grateful that the Holy Spirit led me to your site (you are bookmarked as one of my favs) and you have helped me thru your gifts and talents to teach my class about how the Sacraments make the invisible Grace of God visible. Father God Bless Katie, her family and all those that she comes in contact with, in Jesus' Precious Name we pray Amen.

Dear Katie Anne I love your blog and the way you teach...My name is Astrid and I live and work in Italy even if I'm dutch. I wanted to create a lapbook with my children at school. I used your ideas but I don't want to steal, I brought you with me in Italy , I tried carefully to write your property everywhere. I needed to change something because of the language, I hope you don't mind but if you have some problems I willl take it of. Maybe you can find some ideas into our blogs to. Even if you have plenty of creativy by yourself. A big kiss from Italy and a happy year of mercy full of grace!

PS: This the link to blog about the Year of Mercy: http://millefinestrelle.wix.com/giubileo#!lapbook-giubileo/c6b5 and my own blog: http://finestrelle.blogspot.it/ (so at least I shared something of 'myself')

Hi Astrid! That is so great! I'm so glad that you found me and used the materials for the lapbook. I love how they turned out! Thank you so much for sharing your final project with me and for linking back to my blog. What great work you are doing! :) I love that we can share in this Year of Mercy all the way from Illinois to Italy!

Dear Katie Ann, this week I transformored the Holy Door in a multimedia door. I n this way my pupils will look with their parents at home some little videos discovering the grace of mercy 'hidden' in the stories. http://millefinestrelle.wix.com/giubileo#!porta-santa-bibbia/cy48

I just found your blog while looking for some materials on prayer for our youth Sunday School. Thanks so much for the Hands of Prayer printable! I think the kids will love coloring this while we talk, and what a wonderful way to remember all of your prayer concerns. I can relate to getting into a pattern of praying for the same things! I am new to your blog and saw that you are from Central Illinois...I live in Carlisle, Pennsylvania now but grew up in Decatur, Illinois...wonderful place and people! Thanks again for your blog!

Wow! Thank you! What an amazing blog you share. I have downloaded several activities for my class. This is a ridiculous question but can you tell me what font you use for your prayer activities? It's so simple and clear. Thanks again.

Hi Marsha! I'm so glad you found my little corner of the internet! And I'm glad some of my resources have been helpful. I'm not sure exactly which font you were looking at, but the ones I use most often are Century Gothic, Grilled Cheese, and Vintage One. They are all available as free downloads if you are familiar with installing fonts. :)

You have no idea how much of a blessing your resources have been. Your materials have truly brought my lessons to life. I am grateful for ALL of the hours your materials took you. As a Catholic School teacher, I don't make a lot of money. I am constantly buying resources in order to beef up my lessons. This blog has saved me so much money! I just wanted to let you know how much you have helped me as an educator. THANK YOU!

You are very welcome! Trust me, I understand needing resources and tight budgets- that's why I started making so many of my own- so I figured I might as well share them. :) Thanks for your sweet comment!

I love your page! You are a blessing with your posts and I can see you are following your calling!I did the Lent detective journey with my kids this past weekend and they loved it! The next big retreat we have is for Advent...do you have anything similar or any ideas for an Advent retreat?

I'm so glad that you liked it! I don't have a similar detective journey for Lent, but that is a great idea. I have quite a few Lent resources, and I bet you could use many of them for your Lent retreat. You can find them all under the "Church Year" tab above.I would specifically recommend using the Resurrection or Way of Light Eggs- they have a similar tactile instructional style like the Advent Detective Journey, and are a big hit with kids of all ages:

Ooo, that's a tough one Clare- I can't think of a specifically Catholic daily devotional for kids that age... There are often great ones for Lent or Advent, but I assume you are looking for a 365 one.I have the Jesus Calling Kids Devotional in my classroom, and while not Catholic, it is good: Jesus Calling KidsYou could also try a subscription service that matches up with the daily/weekly readings like these: MagnifikidLiving Faith Kids(I've seen and used Magnifikids, I have not tried Living Faith Kids. Good luck! Let us know if you find something great!

From this old DRE ... keep up the GREAT work!! I love your things, your energy and your love for the Lord and His children. I often reference your site, either for myself or my catechists. LOOOOOOVE IT!

Hi Katie! Just wanted to say thanks for all you do! Your blog is a constant source of inspiration for me. I have 5 children of my own and teach a 7th-8th grade PSR class, so your materials are frequently referenced. Keep up the wonderful work you do. I appreciate it so very much!!

Wow, I just found your materials when I was searching for something on the sacraments. Our parish is using some terrible books this year for catechism and I needed some supplemental material. I teach 7-12th grade First Communion but your web diagram and Signs worksheet will be perfect for them. Will check out the rest of your stuff as well.

Thank you for your beautiful O Antiphons. My 6th catechism class loves to color. Have you heard about Pontifex University? I am currently taking classed for my Masters of Sacred Art. The staff is excellent and the classes are self-paced.

Wow! I am so happy to have found your site. You clearly have a gift for sharing our faith with children... know that I will be using many of these resources with my third grade class. Also, a question, what journaling Bible do you use? Thank you and God bless you!

Hi Karen!So glad there are some good resources for you to use with your class! The Bible is the new Catholic NAB Journaling Bible from Blessed is She and Our Sunday Visitor! I have it linked under the Bible Study & Youth Group Tab or in my most recent post. :)

"Not all are called to be artists in the specific sense of the term. Yet, as Genesis has it, all men and women are entrusted with the task of crafting their own life: in a certain sense, they are to make of it a work of art, a masterpiece." -Saint John Paul the Great

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